Sydney: Younger Australian teenagers using Instagram, Facebook, and Threads are being warned that their accounts will soon be deactivated ahead of the country’s new nationwide social media ban for under-16s.
Meta, owner of all three platforms, has begun sending alerts via text, email, and in-app notifications to users it believes are aged 13 to 15, informing them that account shutdowns will begin on December 4. The national ban officially comes into effect on December 10, covering platforms including TikTok, YouTube, X, and Reddit in addition to Meta’s services.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the ban as a ‘world-leading’ step designed to ‘let kids be kids.’ Although Meta and other companies oppose the legislation, they have said that they will comply.
Australia’s internet regulator estimates that around 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram users fall within the 13–15 age group. From December 4 onward, users under 16 will be unable to create new Meta accounts.
The company is encouraging young users to update their contact information so they can be notified once they reach the eligible age. Teens are also being given the option to download and save their posts, videos, and messages before their accounts are disabled.
Meta stated that the young users who believe they are old enough to stay on the platforms can appeal the restriction by submitting a ‘video selfie’ for facial age analysis or by uploading a government-issued ID, such as a driver’s licence.
These verification methods were independently assessed earlier this year by the UK-based Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) in a government-commissioned review. While ACCS noted that each method had strengths, it concluded there was no single solution that worked flawlessly in all scenarios.
Platforms that fail to take ‘reasonable steps’ to block under-16s may face penalties of up to A$50 million (£25 million). Meta’s global head of safety, Antigone Davis, noted that the company is working to remove all underage users by 10 December but acknowledged that compliance would remain an ongoing process.
The firm has also expressed support for laws requiring parental approval before under-16s download social media apps, noting that ‘teens are resourceful’ and may try to bypass age verification systems.
Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that the ban aims to protect young people “from pressures and risks they can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts.”
In a move seemingly designed to avoid being included in the ban, gaming platform Roblox announced that it will block under-16s from chatting with adult strangers. Mandatory age verification for chat features will begin in December in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, expanding globally in January.
The e-Safety Commissioner also outlined which platforms fall under the ban. Included are Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, and YouTube. Platforms such as Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Roblox, Steam, WhatsApp, and YouTube Kids are excluded.
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